Window cleaning tool

ABSTRACT

A transverse cleaner head carried from a handle element and having spacer studs on the opposite ends.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to the cleaning of window panes and to tools for improving efficiency and performance.

BACKGROUND

In more recent decades, glass window panes have become more and more popular in architecture and construction of inhabitable structures and particularly high rise buildings. These windows require regular cleaning, often involving lowering of scaffolding from overhead, cantilever mounted support arms to deploy cables carrying the scaffolding supporting working personnel to be lowered to the level of the row of windows to be cleaned cleared. It is important that the windows be cleaned in an efficient and thorough manner. This has led to an entire industry for window cleaning and improved tools. Commonplace tools include squeegees which typically incorporate a holder with a handle and a transverse channel carrying a rubber type flexible blade not unlike a windshield wiper. Little advance has been made over the past decades in the construction of these tools.

Efforts are made to clean the entire pane or panes up to and near the edge typically mounted in a frame of wood, aluminum or the like. Attention has been given in the past to the design of squeegees to avoid scratching of the window pane since a cleaning tool of this type is disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,581 and titled Scratchproof Squeegee Cleaning Apparatus.

There remains a need for improvements in tools for large projects to improve efficiency and effectiveness. It is recognized that workmen may be elevated on a scaffold or the like to have ready access to the windowpanes to perform their work by rapidly applying water or cleaning liquid in wide swaths on the pane or panes and then wiping the water clear with a squeegee type device.

Because of shortcomings in cleaning tools, it has been common practice for the window washing workmen to carry a supply of cleaning cloths with him or her and, after application of the cleaning tool, wipe any remaining residue away with a cleaning cloth to leave the windowpane clean and dry. This step can be time consuming and also consumes tremendous amounts of cleaning cloths necessitating washing thereof during or after the project and replacement of worn cloths. There thus remains a need for a cleaning tool which is effective to clean the windowpane itself and treat the marginal edges adjacent the frame such that minimal or no additional cleaning beyond the work of the tool itself is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A tool having a handle and transverse holder bar for carrying a blade or the like to execute the cleaning process with short spacer studs or the like on opposite ends for butting the window frame to maintain the cleaning tool spaced a selected distance from the frame so that a margin is essentially left untreated.

Somewhat counter intuitive, it has been discovered that this tool and procedure produces the desired effect in cleaning the window without follow up detailing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the window cleaning tool embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the window cleaning tool shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view, in enlarged scale of the tool shown in FIG. 2

FIG. 4 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the window cleaning tool shown in FIG. 2 but with scrubbing boot attached;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, in reduced scale, of the tool shown in FIG. 1 depicted cleaning a window; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are partial sectional views, in enlarged scale, of the tool shown in FIG. 4 as applied to different window assemblies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the trade, a window washing tool is often referred to as a T-bar or applicator. The applicator is intended for scrubbing and cleaning the windowpane. In the industry, regular times are scheduled for cleaning of commercial and industrial windows. The consumption of time and the cleaning cloths necessary in the prior art to complete the cleaning process constitutes an expensive, inconvenient, inefficient and wasteful approach. Recycling of the necessary cleaning cloths is time consuming and eventually leads to deterioration of the cloths to the point where they are discarded, often finding their way to waste dumps.

The present invention recognizes that window cleaning is often facilitated by applying water or the like and quickly, rapidly and conveniently washing the window clean. Application of the present tool leaves no requirement for any further detailing after the cleaning process or wiping clean with absorbent rags or the like. The invention can leave a margin of unwiped surface adjacent the frame maybe about ¼ inch wide which essentially remains almost or totally dry. It has been discovered that, contrary to conventional wisdom, this approach leaves a satisfactorily clean window without the need for further detailing and scrubbing or wiping of the surface, all the while leaving the windowpane surface presentable, particularly from a distance.

The washing tool may be generally T-shaped and includes a longitudinal handle socket (15) and a transverse cleaner head (17) which may include a cylinder covered by absorbent material such as a sponge or other desirable material for absorbing and wiping away water applied to the windowpane. Projecting from the opposite ends of the cleaner head (17) are standoff studs (21) which are intended to, during the window washing process, engage on their ends with the frame (22) of the window and maintain the washing element spaced from the frame.

As noted, it has been discovered that a more efficient approach to window washing is to apply a washing tool to the main body of the windowpane up to the edge which may leave a margin (24) (FIG. 5) along the edge dry without squeegeeing in that area. With this approach, the resultant window exhibits a clean and transparent main body circumscribed be an unsqueegeed marginal edge (24), possibly not being totally clean but not interfering with the vision of the viewer viewing through the main area of the windowpane.

The transverse cleaning bar (17) may take numerous different forms, including a core with an outer layer of sponge type material, absorbent cloth, or combinations of many different materials known in the art. In practice, I incorporate a rigid cross bar (22) (FIG. 2) covered by a boot (24) formed by a tube (26) open at one end (28) for convenient application. The tube (26) may be conveniently inserted over one end of the cross bar (22) to present the periphery for cleaning.

The spacer studs (21) may be of various different lengths, such as ⅛ to ½ inch long or possibly more. In one preferred embodiment, the spacer studs (21) are disposed eccentric to the central, elongated central axis (20) of the bar (17) to be located on a work axis (27) (FIG. 7) spaced closer than the central axis (20) to be assured of, when cleaning, contact is made with narrower window frames for the purpose of maintaining spaced relationship.

Window washer workmen often work from elevated scaffolds and may often wash large areas of commercial windows by grasping a long handle to a cleaning head or bar and applying a sweeping stroke which may pass the bar (17) through an arc of 7-foot diameter or so thus necessitating a long reach and wide application for cleaning. In this regard, it is convenient that the spacer studs (21) will typically engage the window frame and maintain the desired spacing from such frame by the washing bar (17). This approach then allows for the workmen to rapidly and efficiently apply the washing bar (17) in a cleaning stroke to a wide swath of windowpane producing a clean and transparent pane.

In practice, I have chosen the T-shape to construct the bar (17) with a axis projecting transversely to the axis of the handle socket (15) though other configurations are contemplated such as L-shaped. In some embodiments the handle is formed with a threaded end (FIG. 2) to be screwed into the socket and in other configurations, the connection is press fit though other connections known to those skilled in the art are contemplated.

In one preferred embodiment, I position the spacer studs (21) eccentric to the central axis of the bar (17) such that they are spaced closer to the windowpane than the central, longitudinal axis of the bar (17) to thereby provide even greater assurance the ends of the spacer studs (21) will engage the window frame to maintain the desired spacing.

I have demonstrated that the cleaning tool and procedure of the present invention provides for efficient and rapid window cleaning without the necessity of follow-up detailing of the window. Thus, a high-rise building with numerous floors can be rapidly and efficiently cleaned to provide sparkling windowpanes without the necessity of cloth cleaning.

The invention may be embodied in other forms without departure from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments described therefore are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Although the present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A window washing tool for cleaning a window pane carried in a frame having inwardly facing marginal edges and comprising: a fitting including an elongated handle and a working end: a cleaning head on the working end and extending laterally to terminate in opposite ends; spacer studs projecting from the opposite ends and arranged to, when a workman sweeps the fitting about the pane toward one of the marginal edges, abut the one of the marginal edges to space the respective end of the working head from one of the margined edges.
 2. The window washing tool of claim 1 wherein: the absorbent cleaning head is constructed of sponge material
 3. The window washing tool of claim 1 wherein: the spacer studs are at least ¼th inch long.
 4. The window washing tool of claim 1 that includes: caps on spacer studs.
 5. A method of washing a window pane carried in a frame including: selecting a window washing tool with a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, the tool including a transversely elongated cleaner head extending along the transverse axis with spacer studs on the opposite ends; engaging the cleaner head with the pane and sweeping the tool across the pane to clean the pane and engaging the spacer studs with lengths of the frame.
 6. The method of claim 5 that includes: selecting the tool with a head including an absorbent material.
 7. The method of claim 5 that includes: selecting the tool with caps on the ends of the spacer studs. 